News short: Search and rescue responding to injured teen in Zion National Park

ZION NATIONAL PARK – A search and rescue team is currently en route to render aid to an injured teenager in Zion National Park Saturday afternoon.

A 15-year-old girl was hiking in Orderville Canyon, which runs into the Narrows, when she injured herself, Zion National Park Public Information Officer Aly Baltrus said. The girl’s injuries have been reported as either to her ankle or leg.

“We are literally just responding to the accident,” Baltrus said.

A crew of eight search and rescue responders was being sent in to help the girl as of 3:30 p.m.

When the rescue crew members reach the girl, they will likely either carry her out or float her down “depending on where they are,” Baltrus said.

“She does not have the ability to get out herself,” she said.

Zion’s search and rescue team is made up of individuals from various divisions within the park.

“They’re made up of some staff, some volunteers,” Baltrus said.

With high summer temperatures blazing, park visitors often go to The Narrows to escape the heat, she said. Foot and ankle injuries are the top injuries reported in The Narrows, and people recreating in that part of the park need to exercise great care when placing their footing, and should also be adequately prepared for the terrain.

“Just being really prepared with close-toed shoes, with a hiking stick would be great,” Baltrus said.

She added she doesn’t yet know what the contributing factors were regarding the teenager’s injury.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2015, all rights reserved.

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About the Author

Cami Cox Jim got her start in journalism way back in third grade, when she published a crayon-and-pencil classroom newspaper in Mrs. Gifford’s class. She’s been a professional journalist (the kind that gets paid) since 2005. Cami and her husband don’t have any “real” children yet, so for now Cami takes in stray animals, unofficially adopts other people’s kids and maintains high hopes for her own children (of the two-legged variety) to come along in the future.